


public perception

by Areiton



Series: perception/reality [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Peter Parker Friendship, Getting Together, M/M, News Media, Pre-Slash, Protective Peter Parker, Sad Ending, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-07 21:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20982392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton
Summary: It happens, slowly, falling in love with each other.And it ends suddenly, with heartbreak, just the way he knew it always would.





	public perception

It happens like this: 

Slowly. 

And suddenly. 

It’s slow--friendship that deepens every time they fight together, side by side, every time they spend endless afternoons and sleepless nights in the lab, when they argue over dinner and fall asleep on the couch, watching movies. 

It’s slow because Tony is guarded and withdrawn, and then he’s  _ not _ , so fucking  _ present _ in Peter’s life he doesn’t know what to do with the man. 

He adores the attention, preens under it, catalogues every casual endearment, even as he wonders what the hell he did to earn Tony’s affection and friendship. 

The thing is--Peter’s loved Tony for most of his life, a crush and hero worship that deepens into something so integral to who he is he doesn’t know how to be anything but in love with Tony. And he knows. 

He  _ knows _ that loving Tony is going to break his heart. He knows that it ends in tears and loneliness. 

But Tony is pressed against his side and shouting about the weight ratio and momentum on Batman’s zipline and he smiles, snuggles close, and enjoys it while it lasts. 

He doesn’t let himself think about the way that Tony’s hands glance off him, linger too long. He doesn’t let himself think of the way the team watches, worried, an angry set to Steve’s mouth. He doesn’t think about the way Pepper’s eyes go pinched and hurt when she sees him, Tony’s arm thrown around his shoulders. 

He doesn’t think about the night he fell asleep on the couch and woke to the brush of Tony’s lips against his temple, or the mornings he wakes twisted around the older man, held by possessive, protective arms. 

He doesn’t let himself think about a lot. 

~*~ 

He isn’t stupid, is the thing. 

So he doesn’t always think--but he does plan. 

“Bucky,” Peter says, rubbing his palms on his jeans. His friend looks at him, curious and intent, the way Bucky has looked at him since the first time Peter found him after a mission, when Winter skated too close to the surface, and no one quite trusted him. Kitten videos and rambling stories about his friends, and burritos of all damn things formed an unlikely friendship that never quite quit. 

“I need your help,” Pete says. 

~*~ 

It happens slow. 

And it ends, suddenly. 

~*~ 

Peter is sitting on the counter, his heels drumming against the cabinets, when Bucky puts the newspaper next to him. 

“Kid,” he says, gentle. 

Peter looks at the picture. At the way Tony is watching him, and the way he’s smiling, head tipped back in laughter. They’d been at dinner, and then walking in the Park, and Tony’s fingers had twisted around his and he didn’t ask if it was a date, because he was afraid to ruin it. 

The headline is vicious. 

“Are there more?” he asks. 

“Yeah,” Bucky says and Peter nods. Puts aside his cereal and looks at him. “Are you sure about this, kid?” Bucky asks him, gently, and Peter blinks away the tears. 

He should have asked if it was a date. 

He should have asked for a kiss. 

There’s nothing Tony won’t give him. 

“Yeah,” he says, because this--this is all he can give Tony. 

Bucky thumbs away his tears, and says, “An hour?” 

Peter nods. 

~*~ 

Tony is in the lab, murmuring nonsense to DUM-E as he cleans the bot’s struts and wheels. Peter smiles, watching, and it aches. It  _ hurts. _

DUM-E chirps at him, and Tony peers back, a smile brightening his face, “Hey, sweetheart. I didn’t know you were here.” 

“I’m not staying,” Peter says, forces out, and a frown flickers on Tony’s lips, before he stands. He brushes his hands off on a dirty rag, and gently nudges DUM-E away from Peter. “Where you headed?” 

“Paris,” he says, bright, bright, fake and bright. “Bucky is taking me for the weekend.” 

He watches it happen. Tony is out of practice, hiding his emotions from Peter, and he sees it--the puzzled shock and slow understanding, the hurt breaking across his face, shattering and the way his smile goes brittle and fake and forced. “Oh?” 

Peter nods. He doesn’t say anything. Isn’t sure he  _ can.  _

“Well, have fun, kid.” 

Kid. 

Not sweetheart. 

Not angel. 

Not a thousand sweet things Tony calls him, now. 

“We will,” he says. “Bucky cleared it up, too. With the papers.” 

Please understand, he begs. Please. 

“The papers?” Tony says, slowly. 

He doesn’t understand. And Peter can’t explain--he’ll stop Peter, if he tries to explain. 

“Check with Pepper,” Peter says, breezily. “I’ll see you in a few days.” 

And then he’s slipping away, and Tony--

Tony let’s him go, doesn’t stop him, doesn’t say anything. 

He goes, and all he can see is the way Tony’s heart broke in front of him. 

~*~ 

They’re halfway across the Atlantic when the pictures break. They’re almost pornographic, Bucky pressing Peter into the wall of a building, his tongue half down Peter’s throat, his hand on Peter’s ass, hitching Peter closer. 

“Give it two hours, the story will be buried--or they’ll have new headlines,” Bucky says. 

Peter nods, silent. The headlines won’t be on the aging Avenger seducing his jailbait mentee--they’ll instead be the golddigger whore twink fucking Earth’s Best Defender  _ and _ the tramuatized POW. 

“Peter,” Bucky says, “We could tell him.” 

Peter stares out the window, and shakes his head. “No.” 

Bucky reaches for him, and Peter holds his hand, fingers laced and reassuring, as they fly across the ocean. 

~*~ 

It happens, slowly, falling in love with each other.

And it ends suddenly, with heartbreak, just the way he knew it always would. 

He never thought it would be Tony’s heart breaking. 


End file.
